1854 Rare Victorian Book - Evangeline, A tale of Acadie by Longfellow

Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Illustrated by Jane E. Benham, Birket Foster, and John Gilbert.
Title: Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie.
Publisher: London, David Bogue, 86 Fleet Street, 1854 (Fifth Edition).
Language: Text in English.
Size:  8 x 5.5 inches. 
Pages: vi-102 pages + publisher's catalogue.
Binding: Attractive and very good, near fine original striking Victorian full blue cloth binding, elaborately decorated in gilt and blind-stamping on both covers and spine. Ornate rectangular gilt border with floral and geometric motifs, central gilt title in highly stylized script. Spine gilt bright (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges gilt. Highly decorative—a beautiful display piece.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight, and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown, nice gift note from a previous owner on the first endpaper - as shown). 
Illustrations: Illustrated with forty-five wood engravings, from designs by Jane E. Benham, Birket Foster, and John Gilbert—some of the most important Victorian illustrators of the period. Includes full-page scenic plates and numerous vignettes integrated into the text. (Complete).

The book: This 1854 edition of Evangeline brings Longfellow’s beloved Acadian epic to life through forty-five detailed wood engravings. The visual program—conceived by three leading illustrators of the Victorian era—elevates the poem’s emotional gravitas, from the idyllic opening scenes of Grand-Pré to the sorrowful odyssey of separation and time.

The decorative binding is quintessential mid-Victorian craftsmanship: lush gilt tooling, deep relief blind-stamping, and a saturated blue cloth that was—at the time—more expensive to produce than standard browns or greens. Many surviving copies have faded heavily or lost their gilt brightness; this one remains strikingly attractive and well preserved. For collectors of Longfellow, of Victorian illustration, or of Acadian history, this edition captures Evangeline at the height of its cultural influence, when the poem had already become a transatlantic literary touchstone.

The author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) is one of the most celebrated poets of 19th-century America. With Evangeline (1847), he created a foundational narrative of Acadian identity—combining historical tragedy, lyrical beauty, and a heroine whose unwavering devotion came to symbolize the endurance of displaced peoples. Longfellow’s verse blends classical structure with American themes, and this poem in particular resonated deeply across both New England and Canada. Its opening lines—“This is the forest primeval…”—remain among the most quoted in American poetry.This edition brings together three major Victorian illustrators, each contributing distinctive visual interpretations:

The illustrators: This edition brings together three major Victorian illustrators, each contributing distinctive visual interpretations:
Birket Foster (1825–1899) — Renowned for his rural and pastoral scenes, he provides some of the most atmospheric landscape engravings in the volume.
Jane E. Benham (1828–1884) — A rare and important woman illustrator of the period, offering sensitive portrayals of domestic and emotional scenes.
John Gilbert (1817–1897) — One of the giants of Victorian illustration, known for dramatic narrative compositions and expressive character drawings.